Factors predicting functional outcomes of cochlear implants in children

This article reports the relationships between a large number of child- and family-related factors and children's functional outcomes, according to parental report, in the domains of spoken language communication, social skills and participation, academic achievement, and independence and identity, through a series of stepwise regression analyses. Parents of 247 children who had received cochlear implants in three eastern states of Australia completed a survey on their expectations and experiences of their children's outcomes with cochlear implants. A number of the independent variables were found to be associated, either positively or negatively, with children's outcomes. Implications for cochlear implant professionals, early intervention programmes, and educational authorities are discussed.